Every year, since first meeting my wife Claire, we’ve made our way out to the Rocky Mountains for a tiny get away and reset during the summer months. It’s become a tradition for us and it’s a tradition we look forward to every year. Well, every year except last year due to our wedding, which was followed by our Honeymoon to Italy (we weren’t complaining!!). That being the case, we haven’t let our feet land on Jasper soil since the summer of 2012… needless to say, we were very excited by this trip.

When we venture out, we always camp, and we always camp at Wabasso Campground. The site has long been one that Claire and her family frequented throughout her childhood and one she introduced me to when we first started seeing each other. It’s the best of both worlds; for tent campers, the lots are private enough, far away from the RV’s (so sound is not an issue) and the bathroom’s have running water with flushable toilets…. and best of all, the campsite runs along the Athabasca river and looks out to Mt. Tekarra.

Most of the trip is spent hiking; our first hike was a 14-kilometer (total) trek up and around the Bald Hills, which is one of our favorites. Starting at the base of Maligne Lake, it’s a 1.5-hour climb up a fire road and optional shortcut through a rooted meadow switchback… ending in a final push to the summit… of which you have three separate peaks to then venture to and a plethora of valleys and meadows you can navigate through. Our second hike was through Wilcox Pass, which was 5-kilometer trek (10 in total) ending on the cliffs adjacent to the Columbian Ice fields, where we parked ourselves for lunch and found the perfect winds for flying a kite.

Due to the +31 degree weather, each day we were up at 6am on the trail by 8/9am and in Lake Annette by 3pm… I could live that life for eternity.

Fantastic shots - thanks for sharing. Looking forward to checking out some of these hikes!
Oh, and the nacho shot - I could literally 'smell' them - awesome! (or it's just that I'm hungry - hmmm, maybe both!)

About

Ryan Parker is a freelance Headshot, Portrait and Studio Photographer based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is also an accomplished film and theatre actor and takes his experience from the acting world into his studio.